Chronicles of a Shoemaker's Daughter

We probably all start out with great ideas, and good intentions ... but quickly ... almost as quickly as we fall of the fad diet wagon, yet again ... or as quickly as we lose interest in our latest gym membership   ... we  "reluctant bloggers" act something like this ... 

Well, I got my answer to that question, with the arrival of two separate and seemingly unrelated occurrences.  I have been knocked off my feet by a wicked head and chest cold, and we have been treated for the last day or two to gloomy, rainy weather, and much lower temperatures than what we had all become accustomed to during this long and meandering summer.   When I did a meds run to my local Shopper's Drug Mart earlier today, to stock up on some goodies to blast the sickness right out of me, I witnessed further proof that autumn is arriving with a vengeance -- I saw lots of leaves on the ground, and ... horror of horrors, there were plenty of red and gold leaves on the maple trees, when just a week ago everything was green, green, green.  Being to sick to care, I didn't have my camera with me, so I didn't capture any shots of those tiny signs of fall ... but I did experience a surreal moment, right out of a popular Staples commercial.  You know the one - that back to

Greetings from the land of perpetual summer!  OK, clearly I am exaggerating, but considering that we had almost no major cold snaps or very much snow last winter ... and that the first heatwave of the season happened in March, it has begun to feel as though we have had more than 6 full months of summer!  Right here in Ontario! Now all this wonderful weather has actually paid havoc with the environment, including right here in my front and back gardens ... and I know that parts of the US and Canada are dealing with the worst droughts since the 1950's, but for the most part, the average Torontonian has been enjoying this weather.  Me?  Not so much.  Don't get me wrong, I like sunshine, but it's just been a little too much sweat-weather as opposed to sweater-weather for me. I am actually looking forward to winter, so that I can layer on some clothing, because lets face it, when it's hot and sticky out, and you are down to your lightest cotton garb with not much underne